Sleep is important: here are some ways to get more quality sleep

We all have practiced some sort of excuse that gives us permission to short-change ourselves on sleep: I’ll sleep when I’m dead, I can just catch up this weekend, I do better when I don’t get enough sleep, etc. It also seems to be a collegiate badge of honor: I pulled an all-nighter studying for that exam.” Let’s talk a bit about what sleep does and how you might improve it so you can do your best in and out of the classroom.

Getting enough quality sleep at the right times improves our brain functioning by facilitating communication between brain cells. This helps us incorporate the information we have learned, create new memories and perform tasks more efficiently and with greater success than if we have failed to get good quality sleep. It detoxifies. It eliminates unnecessary pathways. It strengthens necessary pathways. Sleep reaches beyond the brain and impacts the entire body. It improves our immunity and health. It improves our heart functioning. It reduces blood pressure and inflammation. Sleep helps our muscles recover after performing. It helps us manage our mental health and stress management.

Most people need somewhere between eight to nine hours of sleep every night. It can be difficult to prioritize your sleep over socializing, homework or TikTok. We may not realize that we don’t “catch up” on sleep, especially if you are significantly deprived. If you are sleeping only six hours a night on average, by the weekend, you have lost upward of 15 hours of sleep. Most of us cannot incorporate 15 hours of sleep into our weekends with all the other activities we have planned, so it’s best to get your sleep throughout the week and not rely on the “catch up” strategy.

How do I optimize my nights so I can get the best sleep possible?

1. Stick to a schedule. Our body works on a rhythm—the circadian rhythm—and follows many signals to release natural chemicals in the body that cue sleepiness and wakefulness. Be as regular as possible to give your body the chance to establish a rhythm (this means weekends too). Wake up and go to sleep at the same time each day.

2. Protect your bed—restrict the use of your bed to only sleep. Avoid doing homework, doom-scrolling on social media, binge-watching your favorite show or other things that may confuse the cues your brain needs to equate “bed” and “sleep.”

3. Create a pre-sleep routine. It can take up to 30 minutes to transition your brain from awake to ready to sleep. This is a good time to put away the homework, take a shower, brush your teeth, stretch, listen to a bedtime story or do any number of relaxing activities that prompt you that it’s time for bed.

4. Know what impacts your sleep. Check out your medications, caffeine or other activities to learn if they stimulate you too much to be ready to fall asleep. You may need to change your schedule to improve your sleep quality. Take care of the basics (nutrition, exercise, rest, laughter, etc.) as these can also impact sleep.

5. Set up a sleep-friendly environment. Think about what you need to feel comfortable: Is the room too hot/cold? Any noises? What about light? Consider using a sleep mask or ear plugs that can insulate you from external disruption.

Consider using an app to track your sleep or Calm.com or Headspace for relaxation or bedtime stories. Check out the Dream Team’s Instagram account for more tips.